ENGLISH GRAMMAR 1 Call International ENGLISH GRAMMAR 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Call international. © 2019, published by Call International, 1st edition 2014 Table of Contents 1. Adjectives 2. Adverbs 3. Definite Article “ The ” 4. Indefinite Article “A / An ” 5. Verb “Be” ² 6. Comparatives and Superlatives 7. Countable and Uncountable Nouns 8. Conditional (1°) 9. Conditional (2°) 10. Contractions 11. Demonstratives “This, That, These, Those” 12. Futures: “ Will ”Future 13. Futures: “ Going to ” Future 14. Futures: “Present Simple / Present Continuous” Future 15. Verb “Have” 16. Have got 17. Imperative 18. Modal Auxiliary Verbs 19. Noun Plural 20. Past Continuous 21. Past Simple 22. Personal Pronouns: Subject Personal Pronouns (SPP) 23. Personal Pronouns: Complement Personal Pronouns (CPP) 24. Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns 25. Possessive “ 's ” 26. Prepositions of Place 27. Present Continuous 28. Present Perfect 29 Present Simple 30. Quantities (“ much – many – a lot of – plenty of ”) 31. Question Tags 32. Question Words 33. Short Answers 34. Some, Any, No 35. Some-, Any-, No- (compound words) 36. There Is – there Are 37. Verbs + –ing 38. Verbs + to … 39. Verbs: Irregular Verb Table ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 2 4 7 9 11 13 14 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 40 42 43 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 1/53 1. Adjectives An adjective qualifies a noun, giving more information about it. Position 1. Before a noun : a young woman an ancient civilisation noisy neighbours the early bus this pleasant evening More than one adjective can modify the same noun : an ancient Egyptian pyramid 2. After the verb “to be” or after state verbs : The road is bumpy. The weather will become stormy tomorrow. Order The table below indicates the most normal ordering of adjectives. It is an excellent guideline but is not rigid for all circumstances ... A The This Adjectives for Describing or Expressing … feelings size age colour definition beautiful little old green Indian Noun vase A priceless antique red ruby ring ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 2/53 1. Adjectives (continued) Forms Several basic adjectives have no specific ending. They can often be paired as opposites : large tall new young rich cheap long fat black good hard small short old old poor expensive short thin white bad soft small BIG Many adjectives are recognizable by their ending -al: -ent: -ous: -ic: -y: -ive: -ed: -able: -ful: -an: -ing: -less: -ar: actual, final, mental, physical, special ancient, excellent, frequent, urgent anxious, conscious, famous, serious basic, classic, electric, scientific angry, dirty, funny, thirsty active, attractive, expensive, native bored, interested, excited, surprised comfortable, possible, probable, enjoyable beautiful, colourful, careful, grateful American, human, Christian, Indian boring, interesting, exciting, surprising careless, hopeless, useless, harmless particular, familiar, popular, similar Less frequent endings: childlike, friendly, foolish, wooden ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 3/53 2. Adverbs The adverbs bring complementary information to a phrase or a word. Most Frequent Meanings: • • • • • • • • • • Manner: slowly, quickly, hard, fast, well Frequence: always, often, rarely, never Location: above, upstairs, here, there Time: recently, afterwards, then Degree: very, quite, too, so Link (text): firstly, therefore, however Comment: actually, surely Addition/limitation: also, either, neither Viewpoint: officially, strictly Duration : always, just, never He greeted us politely. We’ve lived here for two years. We arrived yesterday. I’m really happy. We usually eat fish on Fridays. However, we don’t eat meat. Strangely, she never told us where she lived. She talked only about the weather. Personally, I felt it wasn’t fair. Have you ever been to Copenhagen? (manner) (location) (time) (degree) (frequence) (link in a text) (comment) (limitation) (viewpoint) (duration) Have you ever been to Copenhagen? ©2019 Call International Of course, I have ! English Grammar 1 4/53 2. Adverbs (continued) Positioning the Adverbs There are three normal positions: 1. Initial position, at the beginning of a clause : Adverb + subject + verb Occasionally John missed classes. 2. Mid positions a) after the 1st auxiliary verb: Subject + auxiliary verb + adverb + verb John has occasionally missed classes. b) after be as a copulative verb : Subject + ”be” + adverb (+……) John is occasionally absent from class. c) before the conjugated verb if there is no auxiliary verb: Subject + adverb + conjugated verb John occasionally misses classes. 3. Final Position, at the end of a sentence: Subject + verb (+ ……) + adverb John missed classes occasionally. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 5/53 2. Adverbs (continued) Usual Positions For each type of adverb there is one position in the sentence where it is placed most usually. Adverb Types Position Examples Manner Location Time Degree Frequence Link Comment Addition/limitation Viewpoint Duration End End End Mid Mid Initial Initial Mid Initial Mid He works hard. Would you like a lift home? I’ll see you tomorrow. We really enjoyed the training course. I often eat fish on Fridays. So I think it’s a very good idea. Fortunately the rain stopped. Cara speaks English and French; she also speaks Irish. Officially, the office closes at 6. He hadn’t ever seen the Pyramids. Adverb Forms There are 3 forms : 1. Most adverbs are fomed by adding –ly at the end of th adjective. Slow – slowly, patient – patiently. 2. Many adverbs have the same form as the adjective. Here are examples of the most common such adverbs: : hard, straight, far, near, early, late, fast, east, west, north, south, left, right, opposite, just, pretty, direct, well 3. Many other adverbs have no link with any adjective. so, too, there, here, as, quite, very, now ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 I often eat fish on Fridays. 6/53 3. Articles : The Definite Article “The” The definite article in English, for both singular and plural nouns, is the. The definite article identifies a particular noun. Always Use the Definite Article: a) before singular or plural nouns which are known by the hearer and listener: These are the books that I borrowed from the library. (We can see the books and we know where the library is.) Where are the stamps I bought yesterday? (You know the ones I mean. You were with me when I bought them.) What did you think of the film? (I am talking about the one you saw last night) b) before some geographic areas or localities, groups of states or islands, mountain chains, seas and rivers: The People’s Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Philippines, the Bahamas, the Netherlands, the Channel Islands, the Far East, the Alps, the Andes, the Cairngorms, the Himalayas, the Rockies, the Hindu Kush, the Pacific Ocean, the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea, the Black Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Thames, the Yangtze, the Ganges, the White Nile, the Mississippi, the Amazon c) before groups of people, scientific and musical instruments, animals mentioned as a category: The hospital in Cherry Orchard Avenue is a hospital for the elderly and infirm. The poor are always disadvantaged in contemporary society. Matilda is learning to play the trumpet; her brother plays the drums. Who invented the telescope? The first one was made by Galileo in 1608. The Bengali tiger is threatened with extinction. The Manx cat is native to the Isle of Man. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 7/53 3. Articles : The Definite Article “The” (continued) Always Omit the Definite Article: a) when expressing generalities about objects, people, abstract ideas. In the following examples, the generalities (= the) are in contrast to a specific reference (= + the) : I enjoy reading contemporary fiction – especially the novels of David Lodge. Poverty is one of the scourges of the 21st Century. The poverty I witnessed in the inner city slums was indescribable. You don’t often see people drinking beer at cocktail parties. b) When mentioning particular countries, continents, towns, streets, buildings, mountains and lakes: China, Pakistan, America, England, (Great) Britain, South America, Central America. Genoa is in Northern Italy. Valencia is in Southern Spain. They are both in Europe. Westminster Abbey is near Parliament Square – at the top end of Victoria Street. Everest and K2 are the two tallest mountains in the world. c) When mentioning means of transportation, meals, sports in general terms, also when using some weather, month, season expressions, etc.: I’m going by car, but Andy’s going by train. Would you like to have lunch now?’ ‘I haven’t had breakfast yet! In this school we play rugby in the autumn term and football in the spring term. In summer everybody plays tennis. Next Friday is the last day of term. In August the school is closed. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 8/53 4. Articles : The Indefinite Article “A / An” Meaning An indefinite article indicates that its noun is not a particular one. It contrasts with the (definite article). When to Use A / An The indefinite article a is used before a consonant : He’s a doctor. What a beautiful garden ! The indefinite article an is used before a vowel or a silent h: He’s an actor. I’ll see you in an hour. Notes: • Such words as European and uniform begin with the diphtongue /ju :/ and are therefore considered as a consonant and are used with the indefinite article a. She wears a uniform. • Words such as hour and honest begin with a vowel sound because the h is silent, and are used with the article an. Position: A/an are placed before a singular countable word (See 8. countable and uncountable nouns): A cow A herd of cows A big brown cow “A / an” have no plural : there is no indefinite article in the plural except some (See 35: Some, Any, No). Elephants live in Africa. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 9/53 4. Articles : The Indefinite Article “A / An” (continued) Use “A / an” are used after the verb ‘be’, for specifying somebody’s profession : My dad’s a doctor. “A / an” are used when one mentions something for the first time. If it is mentioned for a second time, “the” is used. I live in an old house. The house was built 200 years ago. “A / an” have the same meaning as one (in the same way as two or three, etc.) : Could we have two cups of coffee and a Coke please. When using numbers, “a / an” is often used to replace one : A million people took part in the demonstrations. I bought a dozen eggs. “A / an” mean “per” for indicating frequency : The rent is €1,000 a month. The speed limit is 45 kilometres an hour “A / an” are frequently used for indicating “an example of a kind”. There are many ways of learning a language. A dog is a man’s best friend. Notes: • A / an are not used with “uncountable nouns“ (See 8: Countable and Uncountable Nouns). • A is used before words indicating a quantity : a bit, a few, a little, a lot. Do you take sugar? Just a little. There were a lot of parents at the meeting. Would you like a glass of wine, sir? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 10/53 5. The Verb “Be” Be is the most common and the most irregular verb in English. The verb be possesses 8 forms : be, am, is, are, was, were, being, been Be Am, are, is Basic Forms To be Infinitive Be ! Imperative, subjunctive SIMPLE PRESENT Forms I am You are He is She is It is Was, were We are You are They are SIMPLE PAST Forms I was You were He was She was It was Being Been We were You were They were PARTICIPLE forms Present Participle Past Participle Basic forms: To be or not to be, that is the question. (Infinitive) Please be quiet, the baby is sleeping. (Imperative) Peace be with you. (Subjunctive) Simple Present: I am cold. The milk is in the fridge. We are ready to go out. Simple Past: I was hungry this morning so I ate a sandwich. Peter and John were at the party last night. Present Participle : Past participle : Stop being silly! I have been to Paris three times. Peace be with you ! Stop being silly ! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 11/53 5. “Be” (Continued) Contractions I am You are They are He is She is It is → → → → → → I’m I’m Celeste, pleased to meet you. You’re You’re very kind. They’re Where are the crisps? They’re in the kitchen. He’s Where’s Bruce? He’s in his room. She’s She’s an excellent singer. It’s It’s an awful day today! Note : Contractions are best avoided at the end of a clause or a sentence and in writing. Negative Contractions All the present and past forms of the verb be have a negative contraction ending with “n’t” (Isn’t, wasn’t, etc.), except for am (I’m not). I am not He is not We are not → I’m not → He isn’t → We aren’t I was not → I wasn’t You were not →You weren’t I’m late! Functions of “Be” The verb of a sentence (predicate) I’m late! The copulative verb “Be” Be is a copula when being followed by an adjective, a number, a job function or a complement introduced by a preposition defining the subject, since it links the subject to the complement : I’m hungry. (adjective) My daughter is twelve. (number) Jim’s a doctor. (job function) We’re from Japan. (complement introduced by a preposition) The Auxiliary Verb “Be” Be is an auxiliary verb when it is followed by a participle : • Be + present participle (-ing form) = continuous tense : The baby’s crying. • Be + past participle = passive voice: That castle was built in the 15th Century. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 12/53 6. Comparatives and Superlatives Adjectives: Structures 1 word Adjectives high low 2 words ending in s “-y” heavy easy 2 longer words expensive important Irregular adjectives good bad far Comparatives (+) higher lower Superlatives (the +) the highest the lowest heavier easier the heaviest the easiest more expensive more important the most expensive the most important better worse further the best the worst furthest Notes: • The opposite of more and the most is less and the least. Trout is less expensive than salmon. Oranges are the least expensive fruit this season. • Equality ( = ) : I’m as tall as my sister. You look as pale as death. Trout isn’t as expensive as salmon” Adverbs: The most common form is : More(+) / most (the +) + adjective + -ly or less / least (the +}(-) + adjective + -ly He drives more dangerously than his sister. She drives less dangerously than her brother. Exceptions: easy, fast, hard, early, late, high, low, loud have the same comparative and superlative forms as an adjective and an adverb. A Ferrari is faster than a Volkswagen Beetle. (adjective) My brother drives faster than I do. (adverb) ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 13/53 7. Countable and Uncountable Nouns In English, the nouns are divided into countables and uncountables. The Countables Most nouns are countable : you can count them as separate elements. They have both a singular and a plural form : The cat – the cats A rose – roses The Uncountables A relatively small number of nouns are uncountable : they have a singular but no plural. They require verb conjugation in the singular. The uncountables refer to elements one cannot count, often collections or quantities which one cannot consider as separate elements, e.g. liquids, powder. Those collections can also be divided into sub-groups, which are also uncountable. Material beef • pork Meat lamb Cotton wool chicken silk nylon A number of abstract nouns are uncountable : peace, information, history, work (as a profession), advice • Some nouns are uncountable in English but countable in other languages: progress, research, news, knowledge, hair, pasta • The meaning of a noun does not always help to understand if it is countable or not : traffic, furniture, equipment money, and luggage refer to a group of separate elements, but they are uncountable : the English language considers them as a whole. You don’t have much luggage. Have you bought new furniture for your flat? You don’t have much luggage. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 14/53 7. Countable and Uncountable Nouns (continued) Characteristics of the Countable and Uncountable nouns Countables follow : • a, an or one • many, few, these, those • a number, for example : two, three, forty, … It’s made of wood. Uncountables often have no article but when they do they may follow : • • • some (singular) much or a little expressions such as most of the, all of the, all the, half the It’s made of wood. (not It’s made of tree) There’s too much traffic. (not There’s too much car) I sold all the furniture. (not I sold all the table) A number of nouns are used as both countable and uncountable; however there is a significant difference in their meaning which should be noted : Countables A dozen eggs, please. The bright lights of the city I’ve told you so many times. I made a cake today (A whole one). There are six crystal glasses on the table. Uncountables There’s some egg on the tablecloth. Light travels fast. Don’t waste time. Would you like some cake? (A piece) Be careful – there’s broken glass on the floor. A cake ©2019 Call International Some cake (a piece) English Grammar 1 15/53 8. Conditional (1st) Use For predicting a result which can be reasonably expected to occur or arise in the future (if the condition is met). Form !!! If + “present simple” … will + basic verbal form (See conjugation of “will” on page 21) If it is sunny next weekend I’ll go to the seaside. OR Will + basic verbal form … if + present simple I will go to the seaside if it is sunny next weekend. If I win the lottery, I‘ll travel round the world. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 16/53 9. Conditional (2nd) Use For use in hypothetical, improbable or impossible situations . If I were* a bird, I’d be king of the skies! Form If + “past simple”…would + basic verbal form If I were* a lion, I’d be king of the jungle! Would + basic verbal form … if + “past simple” You can use were for all the be forms in the “if” subclause at the 2nd conditional. It is more “formal” and perceived as more “correct” in some contexts. If I were a millionaire, I would buy a yacht. Even if he were my own brother, I wouldn’t lend him money. Note : *In the idiom “if I were you”, use “were” rather than “was” even in an informal context. Complete Forms Contracted Forms + I would buy a yacht You would buy He would buy We would buy You would buy They would buy I’d buy a yacht You ‘d buy He ‘d buy We ‘d buy You ‘d buy They ‘d buy - I would not buy a yacht You would not buy She would not buy We would not buy You would not buy They would not buy I wouldn’t buy a yacht You wouldn’t buy She wouldn’t buy We wouldn’t buy You wouldn’t buy They wouldn’t buy ? Would I buy a yacht ? Would you buy a yacht ? … ©2019 Call International - … English Grammar 1 17/53 10. Contractions You form a contraction by replacing two words by one, replacing some letters by an apostrophe. The two words are usually : The subject + auxiliary verb, or auxiiary verbs + not Contractions are most frequently used in conversations, informal writing and emails. They should not be used in any form of formal document or written report. Verb Contractions The verbs with contracted forms are : be, have, will, would. BE Am Are Is HAVE Have Has Had WILL WOULD I’m you’re we’re they’re he’s she’s it’s I’m not you aren’t we aren’t they aren’t he isn’t she isn’t it isn’t I’ve you’ve we’ve they’ve he’s she’s it’s I haven’t You haven’t … He hasn’t She hasn’t … I hadn’t he hadn’t she hadn’t … I’d he’d she’d it’d* you’d we’d they’d I’ll you’ll we’ll they’ll he’ll she’ll it’ll I’d you’d we’d they’d he’d she’d it’d* I won’t … … He won’t … I wouldn’t … … he wouldn’t … * “it’d” n’est pas utilisé fréquemment. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 18/53 11. Demonstratives “This, That, These, Those” This, that, these and those are called demonstratives : they are used to refer to objects close to or further from the speaker. They may be either adjectives or pronouns. Demonstrative Adjectives Singular Plural Near This These This one? O.K., I’ll read it to you. Mum, I love that book! Far That Those I’ll take these two books now, and leave those ones on the shelf until next time. They can be followed by one(s) : Singular Plural Near This one These ones Far That one Those ones Hey, look at that! That! There! Demonstrative Pronouns Singular Plural Near This These Far That Those Right there! Too late! Look at this! Whose socks are these? What? Where? I can’t see it! This is used for answering on the telephone : Hello, this is John Bloggs, could I speak to Mr Wright, please? This is used for introducing somebody : Dr Grey, this is my husband Przemysław. Can I call you Bob ? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 19/53 12. Futures : The “Will” Future Will / Going to Will and going to are used for speaking about the future. Their meaning is similar and they are often interchangeable. Here are some differences in use : Will (Future Simple) Form : will (or ’ll) + basic verbal form Use : • prediction (for describing an event which we know or believe is going to happen) : Tomorrow will be windy, with rain in the south. • decisions linked to an immediate future : I’ll take a kilo of tomatoes, please. Complete Forms Contracted Forms + I will travel round the world You will travel He will travel We will travel You will travel They will travel I‘ll travel round the world You’ll travel He’ll travel We’ll travel You’ll travel They’ll travel - I will not travel round the world You will not travel She will not travel We will not travel You will not travel They will not travel I won’t travel round the world You won’t travel She won’t travel We won’t travel You won’t travel They won’t travel ? Will I travel round the world ? Will you travel … ? … … I will travel round the world! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 20/53 13. Futures : The “Going to” Future Going to (near future) Form : be + going to + basic verbal form Use : • prediction of intentions : I’m going to be a scientist when I grow up. • An event in the future which we consider as evident in the present : Look at the sky: I think it’s going to rain. ) Complete Forms I am going to travel round the world You are going to travel He is going to travel We are going to travel You are going to travel They are going to travel I am not going to travel round the world You are going to travel She is going to travel We are going to travel You are going to travel They are going to travel Am I going to travel round the world ? Are you going to travel … ? … Contracted Forms + I’m going to travel round the world You’re going to travel He’s going to travel We’re going to travel You’re going to travel They’re going to travel I’m not going to travel round the world You aren’t going travel (or you’re not …) She isn’t going to travel (or she’s not ...) We aren’t going to travel (or we’re not …) You aren’t going to travel (or you’re not …) They aren’t going to travel (or they’re not …) ? … I’m not going to travel round the world! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 21/53 14. Futures : The “Present Simple / Present Continuous” Future Present Simple / Present Continuous : The use of the “Present Simple“and the “Present Continuous“ for speaking about the future is very similar, and the two forms are often interchangeable. However, here are some differences : Present Simple Use : • Certainty in the future : The course finishes next Friday. • Timetables : My train leaves at 5 o’clock. Now, listen up, son ! A train leaves the station at 4.15 pm. At the same time, another train … Present Continuous (Future) Use: • Arranged plans (but less certain or precise than with the Present Simple) : I’m leaving on for Scotland on Thursday after work. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 22/53 15. The Verb “Have” Have has a variety of meanings : • Have means “possess” (state), but also “take, receive, eat” (action). • Have is also used as an auxiliary verb to form past tenses. Forms Have possesses a number of different forms: have, has, had, having Have Have, has Basic Forms To have Infinitive (to have) Have ! Imperative Subjunctive SIMPLE PRESENT Forms I have “Have” for all the subjects except the You have 3rd person singular : “Has” He, she, it has Had Having Had We have You have They have SIMPLE PAST Forms I had Same form for all the subjects We had PARTICIPLE Forms Present Participle Past Participle Contractions Have → ’ve Has →’s Had →’d Have : questions and negative statements For asking a question, use : do / does / did + have …? For forming a negative sentence, use : don’t / doesn’t / didn’t + have … ? Just like the other verbs. I have a job. Do you have a job ? Does he have a job ? She has a job. Does she have a job? She doesn’t have a job. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 23/53 15. “Have” (continued) Note : Have can be used with all the auxiliary verbs, even after the auxiliary have ! He has a large house in the South of France. We had three dogs when we were children. We’re having dinner at the Hilton Hotel tonight. Have you had a shower yet today? Will you have another cup of tea? Use : Have has two meanings, as a predicate : • Possess (state) • Take, receive, eat (action) As a state verb (possess), one can use have got (See Have got page 26). It cannot be used in a progressive form. I have a bad cold. She has four sisters. John has a terrible headache. I have an idea. He has beautiful white teeth, hasn’t he? As an action verb, have can be used in the progressive/continuous form:. We’re having a good time in this class. I can’t answer the phone; I’m having a shower. Have (auxiliary) The auxiliary have is used for creating the present perfect verb form form. I have lived in Belgium for five year. Negative forms of the auxiliary have Have not → haven’t Has not → hasn’t Had not → hadn’t ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 24/53 16. “Have got” Forms Affirmative Forms Have got Has got Had got Contractions ’ve got ’s got ’d got Negative Forms Haven’t got Hasn’t got Hadn’t got I’ve got two dogs but my sister hasn’t got any. In short answers, have is used without got Have you got a portable computer? Yes, I have. Has your son got a motorbike? No, he hasn’t. Meaning Have got is equivalent to Have with the meaning of possess. Have got is used rather than Have in spoken British English. It is rarely used in American English. Types of sentences Have you got any Brussels sprouts today? No, I’m sorry, I haven’t. Have you got a bike? No, I haven’t. But I’ve got six cars! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 25/53 17. Imperative Form : The imperative is formed using the base form of the verb (infinitive without “to”) Go! Catch! Uses : • Orders : Come here! • Offers: Have a cup of tea! • Advice: Make hay while the sun shines. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Try “Pirsel”: it washes whiter! • Invitations: Take a seat. • Instructions: Fry the chopped onion for five minutes. Important Note : To soften the order, instruction, advice or invitation, add “please” : Please sit down. To reinforce or emphasise a message and give it a friendly aspect, “do” may be used before the imperative : Do have another drink. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 26/53 18. Modal Auxiliary Verbs Meaning Modal Auxiliary Verbs Possibility Capacity Permission Habit Wish Future Unreal Tentative Strong obligation Weak obligation Strong deduction Weak deduction Past state/ habit Can May Might Could XXX XX XX XXX XXX X X X XX X Would Will Shall XX XX XX XXX XX XXX XX XXX X X XXX Must Should Ought to Used to XX X XX XXX XXX XXX XX XXX XXX = primary use XXX XXX XX = less frequent use X = infrequent use Can you come to my party on Saturday? (possibility) She can speak five languages. (capacity) Can I use the bathroom please? (permission) I will be in the library this evening. (future) If I won the lottery I would travel round the world. (wishes/ hypotheses) I’m sorry, I can’t come this evening; I have to work. (possibility; strong obligation) People with high blood pressure should eat less salt. (weak obligation / recommendation). The table above is reasonably comprehensive. Please keep it as a reference tool, but for the moment, this is what you must remember: • The modal auxiliary verbs do not use s in the 3rd person singular : I can, he can • The modal auxiliary verbs do not change forms – there is neither present participle (-ing), nor past participle. • The modal auxiliary verbs come in the first position within the verb group. I can swim. • The modal auxiliary verbs come before not. You will not go. • The modal auxiliary verbs have a negative contraction (exception may). You mustn’t smoke. • The modal auxiliary verbs come before the subject in closed questions. Can you sing ? • The modal auxiliary verbs are used in short answers (See « Short answers » p. 47). Will you go ? Yes, I will. • The modal auxiliary verb can have an unusual negative form can: cannot (can’t) Note : Need and dare sometimes act like modal auxiliary verbs. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 27/53 19. Noun Plural Nouns with a plural form are called countable nouns (see page 15). Plural Form -s / -es • The regular plural form requires –s (or –es) at the end of the singular form. Week → weeks • uncle → uncles toy → toys Most nouns require –s, but if the noun ends with a –s, -x, -ch, -sh, they require –es bus → buses buzz → buzzes box → boxes -y → -ies • If the noun ends with a consonant + y, the final y will change into ie to which –s is added : fly → flies, baby → babies Irregular Plurals • Some nouns have an irregular plural. Here are some of the most common ones : Man Woman Mouse Foot Tooth Child → men → women → mice → feet → teeth Series Species → series → species Cactus → cacti Alga → algae Index Appendix Crisis → indices → appendices → crises Axis Thesis → axes → theses → children Half Knife Leaf Wife → halves → knives → leaves → wives Sheep Fish → sheep → fish Chinese Japanese Swiss → Chinese → Japanese → Swiss ©2019 Call International Criterion → criteria Phenomenon → phenomena Sister-in-law → sisters-in-law Chest of drawers → chests of drawers English Grammar 1 28/53 19. Noun Plural (continued) Pronunciation of the Plural Regular Endings There are three possible pronunciations : /iz/, /z/, and /s/ /iz/ Match – matches • /z/ Dog – dogs /s/ Cup – cups Pronounce /iz/ after sibilants (nouns ending with z, s, dz, sh, tsh, x sounds) roses, bridges, wishes, boxes • Pronounce /z/ after all the voiced consonants and vowels : legs, beds, toys, pens • Pronounce /s/ after all the unvoiced sounds : cats, jokes, books, maps ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 29/53 20. “Past Continuous” Form Was/were + basic form + -ing + - ? I was talking during the speech You were talking He was talking (She, it was …) We were talking (You, they were …) I was not talking He was not talking (She, it was …) We were not talking (You, they were …) Was I talking during the speech? Was he talking (She, it was …)? Were we talking (You, they were …)? I wasn’t talking He wasn’t talking (She, it was …) We weren’t talking (You, they were …) They were waiting for a phone call. Wasn’t she eating breakfast when the doorbell rang? Weren’t you having a good time? Use The Past Continuous refers to a state or an action in progress in the past, which lasted for a certain time, but not upto the present. It often means that the action finished at the moment we were thinking of it. When an action (1) had been continuing for a period of time, and a 2nd action (2) occurred during this period, the Past Continuous is used for 1 and the Simple Past for 2. Past 2 Now Future 1 The phone rang (2) when I was watching TV(1). While I was driving from Leuven to Brussels (1), my car broke down (2). The Past Continuous is used for describing two simultaneous actions : I was reading the newspaper (1) while my husband was watching T.V. (1) The Past Continuous” is used to describe an action which lasted a particular time : I was playing Minecraft. What were you doing between 7 and 8 pm yesterday? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 30/53 21. “Past Simple” Regular Verbs : Basic form + -ed The English spelling rules apply : walk rob → → carry → develop→ walked robbed carried developed Pronunciation /d/ fill → filled /fil/ → /fild/ /t/ help → helped /help/ → /helpt/ /id/ need → needed /ni:d/ → /ni:did/ Choosing the right pronunciation : • • • /d/ after all the voiced sounds except /d/: /t/ after all the unvoiced sounds except /t/: /id/ after /d/ and /t/: stayed, lived, used, filled danced, laughed, watched added, landed, waited, started Irregular Verbs There are many of these and we suggest you learn them by heart! See the list on page 51. Questions : Did I, he, she, we, you, they Play….? Buy….? Did you like it ? What did you see ? Auxiliary « did » (past form of do) for asking a question Where did I put my glasses? Negative Statements I, he, she, we, you, they did not didn’t play…. dance…. Negative form of the auxiliary « did » : did not ou didn’t Note : See the modal verbs be and have in negative and interrogative sentences. Use When an action is finished in the past, and often when there is reference to a precise moment : The meeting started at 9 o’clock. For describing a usual situation or an action occurring in the past : Once there was a wolf which lived in a forest. Every morning my dog hunted for food. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 31/53 22. Personal Pronouns : The Subject Personal Pronouns (SPP) A personal pronoun replaces a noun. Personal pronouns are used when one knows of whom or to what one refers. The following pronouns are used as sentence subjects : Singular I* You He She It Plural We You They Je Nous Tu Vous Il Ils Elle Elles Cela (il/elle) * “I” is always written as a capital Person First Second Third I’m May. Do you see my parents? That’s June. She’s my Mum. This is Augustus. He’s my Dad. They’re taking me to Cornwall – we love Cornwall. It’s broken! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 32/53 23. Personal Pronouns : The Complement Personal Pronouns (CPP) Complement (or Object) Personal Pronouns are used instead of a direct or indirect object or after a preposition. Can you see him ? (direct object) He gave me a book. (indirect object) Come with me. (complement introduced by a preposition) Subject PP (SPP) I He She It We You They Complement PP (CPP) me him her It us you them Help me please Give it to him They welcomed her I saw it yesterday Come and see us soon I’m going to give you a lift Let’s phone them later Important Note: The CPP is used instead of the SPP in three sentences forms (particularly in informal English) even though the pronoun is nominally a subject one : • After than or as in comparatives : • You sing better than me. . In short responses without the verb : I’m tired. Me too. • After the verb be (complement) : Is that John? Yes, it’s him. In all these three cases the SPP would sound very formal. If you wish, you can use the SPP with an auxiliary verb (this would make the sentence more formal than with CPP) : You sing better than I do. I’m tired. I am too. ©2019 Call International You sing better than I do. English Grammar 1 33/53 24. Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns Forms Personal Pronouns I You He She It We You They Possessive Adjectives My Your His Her Its Our Your Their Possessive Pronouns Mine Yours His Hers Ours Yours Theirs Difference between Possessive Adjective and Pronouns The possessive adjective is placed before the noun, just like the article. This is my briefcase. The possessive pronoun replaces the noun as a subject or an object. This briefcase is mine. Yours is not here Note the differences in position : Have you seen my book? No, this one is mine. Yours is on the table. Note : In use with the object, The possessive adjectives his, her, its are used in an object phrase to refer to the subject gender which is the owner. Jennifer lended her pen. (Jennifer is the owner) You should wash your hands before you eat. My brother broke his leg skiing. (It is my brother’s leg) ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 34/53 25. Possessive “ ’s ” Form • Nouns have a possessive form : created by adding an apostrophe and s : ’s (singular) or ’ (plural) at their end. . Girl → girl’s, • girls → girls’ This possessive form is added before another noun. The girl’s toys, • the girls’ teacher “X’s Y” means “the Y of X” or “the Y belonging to X” The girls’ teacher = the teacher of the girls • Irregular plural nouns not ending with s receive an ’s just like singular nouns. Woman → woman’s (singular) women → women’s (plural) • The possessive form of singular proper nouns ending with a s is also formed with ’s: James’s mother Mr Jones’s secretary • Classical or religious noun forms only use an apostrophe without s : St. James’ Church Socrates’ death Synthesis : Singular The boy’s The boss’s The child’s St-James’ Plural The boys’ The bosses’ The children’s Regular nouns Nouns ending with s Irregular nouns Classical nouns Notes • The possessive s can be attached to a whole phrase : The Prime Minister of France’s visit to Australia • The noun following the possessive form has no article. In addition no article is used if the owner is a proper noun. The teacher’s book Jack’s new job ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 35/53 25. Possessive “ ’s ” (continued) Use In some cases, the possessive s is used (X’s Y) ; in other cases, the “of” form (the Y of X). How to choose ? The elephant’s tusks The zebras’ stripes “ X’s Y “ is generally used : • when X is a person, an animal, a group of people My grandmother’s birthday The dog’s tail The club’s members • When X’s Y describes the relationship between a noun and another noun : The train’s arrival (= the train arrived) The country’s development (= the country developed) • When the noun is followed by a superlative or an ordinal number: The world’s longest river The nation’s first democratic elections • When X is a noun relating to a period of time Friday’s meeting This season’s new potatoes Special Structures a) “ Y of X’s “ is used when X is a person, Y is undefined, and when Y belongs to X. A friend of my mother’s Some books of Mary’s b) Sometimes, when the context is obvious, the noun which would come after the possessive noun is omitted. My dog is older than Pete’s. ( = Pete’s dog) c) A residence or workplace is also omitted following the possessive form. Sally is at Julia’s We’re having dinner at the Wilson’s. I have to go to the doctor’s ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 36/53 26. Prepositions of Place The most common and useful prepositions of place are shown below : Around Near Next (to) Against Above Under Below Over Through In Inside Between On Onto Towards From But … where ? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 37/53 27. Present Continuous Form The auxiliary be + verb + ing form C + - Complete Forms I am working You are working Contracted Forms I’m working You’re working He is working She is working It is working He’s working She’s working It’s working We are working You are working They are working I am not working You are not working We’re working You’re working They’re working I’m not working You’re not working (or you aren’t working) He / She / It is not working He’s / She’s / It’s not working (or He / She / It isn’t working) We / You / They are not working ? You’re / We’re / They’re not working (or You /We/They aren’t working) Am I working? Is he / she / it working? Are we / you / they working? What are you doing right now? Use For describing what is happening now : I’m sleeping. For describing planned activities : When are you discussing the tender with RISCO? I’m meeting them on Friday to discuss it. Contrast I work for Rolvo = I am employed by Rolvo I’m working for Rolvo = The situation is temporary, e.g. a short term contract. Note : Some verbs are rarely used with the Present Continuous : Verbs of perception : see, hear, taste, smell, recognize, seem … Verbs of emotions and feelings: want, refuse, prefer, like, hate, dislike, love … Verbs of réflection: think, know, wonder, realize, suppose, believe, agree … ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 38/53 28. Present Perfect Form has/have + past participle I’ve spoken You’ve spoken He’s been We’ve lived You’ve seen They’ve worked Use The Present Perfect describes an event in the past which is, in a way, linked to the present : ? Past A moment in the past Now Future The Present Perfect is used for : • referring to an event which started in the past but has not yet ended (in particular with for or since) I have worked in Brussels since 1998. (and I am still working there) • referring to an experience in general, e.g. what you have done in your life up to now (especially with ever or never) I’ve been to Paris, but I’ve never visited the Louvre. • referring to recent events or recent situations (in particular with already, still et yet) I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. • referring to very recent events (particularly with just) : I’ve just had a brilliant idea! • referring to events of which the consequences are still visible. Have you been swimming? Your hair’s wet. Please note that the Present Perfect is very frequently used in English and therefore we recommend that you study its usages in detail. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 39/53 29. Present Simple Forms I work You work + He / she / it works +S at the 3rd person singular We work You work They work - I do not work You do not work I don’t work You don’t work He does not work She does not work It does not work He doesn’t work She doesn’t work It doesn’t work We do not work You do not work They do not work We don’t work You don’t work They don’t work Do I work ? Do you work ? ? Subject + auxiliary do + not + verb 3rd person singular : do > does Auxiliary do + subject + verb Does he work ? Does she work Does it work? 3rd person singular: do > does Do we work ? Do you work ? Do they work? I live in Waterloo. Use • When mentioning general facts : Where do you live? • When mentioning routines : What do you do on Fridays? I go to the cinema. 4. When mentioning time : What time does your train leave? It leaves at nine. • When mentioning desires, needs, wishes : Do you like chocolates? No, I don’t, but I love bananas! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 40/53 29. Present Simple (continued) Spelling « es » is added to verbs ending with s, ss, sh, ch, x and o, to form the 3rd person singular : He rushes to catch the bus. She goes to the office on foot. Pronunciation of the 3rd person singular ending The normal spelling rules of nouns ending with s apply also to verbs. There are three possible pronunciations : /iz/, /z/, and /s/ /iz/ Teach – teaches • /z/ Lead – leads /s/ Work – works Pronounce /iz/ after sibilant or unvoiced sounds ending with the consonants z, s, dz, sh, ztsh, x refuses, passes, bridges, wishes, catches, fixes • Pronounce /z/ after voiced sounds or vowels needs, wins, plays, loves • Pronounce /s/ after an unvoiced sound cuts, walks, tips, laughs ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 41/53 30. Quantities (Much – Many – A Lot of – Plenty of) “Much”, “many”, “a lot of”, “lots of” and “plenty of” mean : a large number, a large quantity . Much and many are frequently used in questions and negative sentences. Much is used with uncountable nouns, many with countable ones. In affirmative sentences, a lot of, lots of ou plenty of are often used, and particularly in informal speech. How much money have you got? – Plenty There isn’t much food left? – There’s lots of bread in the cupboard. We’ve played a lot of matches this year, but we haven’t won many. I’ve got plenty of friends in England, but not many in Belgium. A lot of and lots of are similar : both are used with countable and uncountable nouns in the plural. When a lot / lots of are used with plural nouns, the verb will also be in the plural. When a lot / lots of are used with singular nouns, the verb will also be in the singular. There’s lots of soup in the pot. We haven’t invited many people, so we won’t need much food There are a lot of shirts in the drier. In a more formal style, much and many are often used in affirmative sentences. Much research has gone into this question. Many scientists believe this hypothesis. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 42/53 31. Question Tags Question tags are mini-questions added to the end of the main sentence. If the sentence is positive, the question-tag will be negative. If the sentence is negative, the question-tag will be positive. + + + + + + + + + + - - - - - - That’s Nicole Kidman, isn’t it? A B B C A Forming Question-tags 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A question tag is made of two words : an auxiliary (B) or one of the be forms followed by the subject pronoun (A) . The subject (A) is a pronoun replacing the subject of the main sentence. The auxiliary (B) (or the verb be) in the question tag corresponds to the auxiliary (or the verb be) of the sentence, but : If the sentence is positive, the question tag will be negative (C), and vice versa. If there is no auxiliary in the main sentence ( nor verb be ), the auxiliary do is used in the question tag. Nicole comes from Australia, doesn’t she? Notes • The verb have in British English sometimes acts as an auxiliary : therefore the two question tags are valid : They have a beautiful house, haven’t they? or They have a beautiful house, don’t they? (less commonly used) • Indefinite pronouns such as “Somebody” use they as an equivalent in the question tag. Somebody’s eaten the last chocolate, haven’t they. • Nothing makes a sentence negative; therefore the question tag must be positive. There’s nothing more you want me to do, is there? • There acts as a pronoun, and is repeated in the question tag (See example above). • After an imperative, will you or won’t you is used in the question tag. Don’t stay out too late, will you? • After Let’s, shall we is used in the question tag. Let’s go to the cinema tonight, shall we? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 43/53 31. Question Tags (Continued) Intonations and their Meaning A question tag invites the other speaker to respond to the sentence. Negative question tags expect a Yes and positive tags a No as an response . The intonation can be either rising or falling. We’ve met before, haven’t we? Yes. We’ve met before, haven’t we? Yes. We haven’t met before, have we? No. We haven’t met before, have we? No. Rising Intonation If the speaker’s intonation is rising, he is not sure of the answer and is asking for confirmation. It’s not dangerous, is it? (I doubt) Descending Intonation If the speaker’s intonation is descending, he is sure of the answer, and only expect a confirmation. It’s not dangerous, is it? (I know what I am talking about – I just expect your agreement.) ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 44/53 32. Question Words Interrogative words introduce open questions (as opposed to closed questions which usually generate only a « yes » or a « no » as an answer). Question words can be used alone. Who Whose What Which When Where Why How Where did I put my glasses? ? What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who did it? Why? Open Questions 1. The question word can be either an interrrogative adverb (why), or a pronoun (who), or finally an adjective used with a noun (third example). Why didn’t you phone me last night ? Who lives in this house? What size is this jacket? 2. If the question word is the subject or is part of the subject group, the word order is as shown below: Subject(1) + verb(2) + rest of the sentence : Who(1) wants(2) to go to the cinema? Subject phrase (1) + verb(2) + rest of the sentence : Which hat(1) is(2) yours? 3. If the interrogative word is neither the subject nor part of the subject phrase, then the word order follows the interrogative sentence rule : Interrogative word + be or an auxiliary(2), followed by the subject(1) : How far is(2) the airport(1)? Which hat do(2) you(1) want to wear? Where does(2) Prince Charles(1) live? ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 45/53 32. Question Words (continued) 4. What or which ? What is used when the choice options are large or wide; which is used when the choice options are relatively small : What colour is your car ? There are four umbrellas here. Which is yours ? 5. How can be used alone or followed by an adjective or an adverb : How do you say “bricolage” in English ? How big is the house ? How tall are you ? big is the house ? old is your mother ? far is it from here to the airport ? often do you use your car ? long have you been married ? much is it ? I’m 1 metre 85. Not very big. She’s 60 years old. 10 kilometres. Every day. 20 years. 5 pounds. How often do you use your car? ©2019 Call International Not very often! English Grammar 1 46/53 33. Short Answers Form The short answer is most often used for answering questions. They are formed with the subject and the auxiliary of the question or be (+ not), the rest of the sentence being omitted. Are you having fun? Do you like chocolate? Yes, I am (having fun). No, I don’t (like chocolate). The auxiliary do is used for answering sentences without auxiliaries. Does Poppy loveher new car? Yes, she certainly does. Uses Short answers are used because they are considered as more polite than a simple “yes” or “no” answer to a question. No, we haven’t. I’m Poppy. Have we met before? They can also be used to answer requests or assertions : Please sit down. ©2019 Call International Thanks, I will (sit down). English Grammar 1 47/53 34. Some, Any, No Some, any and no indicate quantity. Use Some replaces a/an when referring to several examples of something.These may be either countable or uncountable (See countable and uncountable nouns page 15) There’s some sugar in the pot. I painted some eggs for Easter. Any replaces some in questions and negative statements. Do you want any eggs? No, I don’t want any eggs, thanks. Note: If you ask : “Do you want some eggs ?” some makes the request more positive because you are expecting a “Yes.” Use some rather than any in requests and offers : Can I have some more tea, please? Would you like some cake? No is equivalent to not any. There are no eggs in the fridge. (There are not any eggs in the fridge) There is no orange juice in the jug. (There isn’t any orange juice in the jug) Summary : Statements + ? - I painted some eggs for Easter. There is some sugar in the pot. Are there any eggs ? Do you want some eggs ? No, I don’t want any eggs. There are no eggs in the fridge. ©2019 Call International Some : before plural and uncountable nouns Any in a question Some for an offer or a request Not any = no English Grammar 1 48/53 35. Some-, Any-, No- (Compound Nouns) Compound Nouns Built Using SOME, ANY and NO Some + Any + No + -thing -body -one -where Compound nouns using some- and any- operate in the same way as some and any. Statements + ? - Someone is sleeping in my bed. I left my glasses somewhere in the house. Is there anything to eat? Have you lost something? She didn’t go anywhere last night. We know nobody here. Any- = real question Some- = I am sure of myself Not any- = no* Note * There is a difference in emphasis between nothing, nobody etc. and not ... anything, not ... anybody, etc. I don’t know anything about it. (= neutral, no emphasis) I know nothing about it. (= more emphatic, maybe defensive) I have something to tell you. Other examples SOMETHING, SOMEBODY, SOMEWHERE I have something to tell you. He knows somebody in New York. Keith is looking for somewhere to live. ANYBODY, ANYTHING, ANYWHERE Does anybody have the time ? Does anybody have the time? Is there anything to eat? He doesn’t have anywhere to stay tonight. NOBODY, NOTHING, NOWHERE There is nobody in the house at the moment. I have learnt nothing since I began the course. Homeless people have nowhere to go at night. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 49/53 36. There Is – There Are Beginning a sentence with there + be + noun or noun group. • There is, in this construction, is used to descibe or introduce a subject or noun. (as opposed to the adverb of place there – opposed to here). • There is is not stressed in this expression. Look! There’s a monkey on that branch! There are three children dressed up in this picture Note There are four of us in the family. (We count four members in the family) If you wish to reserve a table at the restaurant, you should say : There are six of us. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 50/53 37. Verbs + –ing Here are the most commonly used verbs which are followed by a gerund form (verb + -ing) : Accuse someone of Insist on Admit Keep (= continue) Avoid Like/dislike Be used to Look forward to Be worth Love Begin Mind Can’t bear/can’t stand Postpone/put off Can’t help Prefer Concentrate on Prevent someone from Contribute to Remember (!) Deny Resent Detest/hate Risk Enjoy Suggest Finish Start Focus on Stop (!) Forgive someone for Think of Imagine I’m used to sleeping with the light on. He risks losing his job if he keeps behaving this way. It’s worth working hard to achieve your objectives. I look forward to hearing from you. Note I remember coming here 5 years ago (memory), but : Remember to give that letter to the teacher (Think of doing something in the future) Stop biting your nails! (Stop doing what you are doing), but : We had to stop to buy petrol (We stopped to do something else). Stop biting your nails! ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 51/53 38. Verbs + to … Here are some of the most commonly used verbs which are followed by an infinitive (to + verb) : Decide Expect Forget Hope Learn Offer Need Plan Promise Refuse Try Want Jennifer has decided to sell her car. You forgot to switch off the light when you went out. My brother is learning to drive. Note See Remember and Stop in the previous chapter. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 52/53 39. Verbs : Irregular Verb Table Basic Form Be Beat Buy Come Do Drink Drive Eat Feel Forget Get Give Go Have Hear Know Lie Make Meet Put Read /i:/ Ride Rise Run See Sell Sing Sit Sleep Speak Stand Take Think Wake Wear Write Simple Past Was, were Beat Bought Came Did Drank Drove Ate Felt Forgot Got Gave Went Had Heard Knew Lay Made Met Put Read /e/ Rode Rose Ran Saw Sold Sang Sat Slept Spoke Stood Took Thought Woke Wore Wrote Past participle Your translation Been Beaten Bought Come Done Drunk Driven Eaten Felt Forgotten Got Given Gone Had Heard Known Lain Made Met Put Read /e/ Ridden Risen Run Seen Sold Sung Sat Slept Spoken Stood Taken Thought Woken Worn Written To write or not to write, that is the question. ©2019 Call International English Grammar 1 53/53